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+--- Thread: Machiavellianism (/thread-1194.html)
RE: Machiavellianism - Jaxen Marveet - 04-17-2020
He was loving all the attention. Between Aiden and Sage, Jaxen was a ball of grins promising future fun. The true treasure was the shock draining Aiden of everything except the game laid out before him. Oh the game. It truly was a thrilling experience. The prize was never totally about the treasure. Bonus, yes. But the best part was the smug secret of what he’d done. Of flaunting it in front of all those stuck up noses that thought they were so divine. Aiden was one of them. Aiden could be the king of them. Sage was dragged along through Aiden’s glory, oblivious. Well he could enjoy it. There would be no guilt when he relieved his co-conspirators of their share of the treasure.
His happy daydream was cut short by Aiden’s loss of consciousness. He flopped about on the limo floor in such a way that Jaxen had to pull up his feet to avoid getting slobber on his shoes. It was rather concerning. Aiden was clearly drunk, but who else in the limo wasn’t drunk? Hopefully the driver was sober. Er, well mostly sober.
Aiden did go on a while. Sage fawned and freaked. Jaxen wasn’t a doctor though. Probably a good thing. He could do some messed up stuff with plastic surgery that folks may not appreciate. In a hilarious way of course. Then again, the Ancient Power had some good effects. He rearranged Oriena’s appearance once, mildly so to not draw too much attention. He’d certainly shifted his own shape from head to toe many times. But doodling mustaches on unsuspecting victims never sounded so appealing. Aiden could use with a disguise. It actually might help them avoid the super-celeb fangirl following along the way now that he thought of it.
Finally, the ordeal was done and Aiden fluttered his eyelashes up at his beau. “Shit, that was dramatic,” he said. Meanwhile, he’d let Sage figure out what actually happened. So long as it didn’t happen again, or happen during a bad time. Worse, so long as it wasn’t contagious. Jaxen wasn’t keen on going around swooning. Not unless it served a good purpose anyway.
He departed the limo and assumed his stuff would be transferred to the plane appropriately. The accommodations were sure to be more comfortable than the limo. Besides, it smelled like spit and pissed pants in there now.
RE: Machiavellianism - Aiden Finnegan - 04-17-2020
Sage all but yanked Aiden out of the limo. He was thankful for that. The smell of vomit and bile was quickly beginning to permeate every molecule of air in the cabin of the vehicle; Aiden might have vomited a second time if he had to sit there in that kind of smell. He unceremoniously wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand and fumbled for a gum or mint or something to get rid of the horrendous after-taste. It was a futile effort. Jaxen was talking shit back in the car, as usual. Aiden let it go. He wasn’t much in the mood to banter anymore.
Aiden shook his head at Sage’s question, leaning against the limo and lighting a cigarette. He offered one to Jaxen, not knowing if the other man smoked. Aiden only did under stress or influence. Again, he did that quick little trick to redirect the smoke away from Sage.
“I’m fine, thanks, babe,” Aiden said to Sage. “Do the – uh – does the cult have psychics in their employ?” That last question was directed to the both of them, “I just saw a man in my head using a bright light to – You know what? It doesn’t matter. It’s been a long day. Let’s just be on with it”
What had happened? Aiden wasn’t even sure what he saw. Was it a vision? A Psychic attack? A stroke? Did Jaxen do something with the Power? The images didn’t look like anything he knew of history. The clothing that man had been wearing was strange, to say the least, and what had that shadow monster been? Another one of Nox’s monsters that lived in the sewer? Perhaps it really was just the stress getting to him.
Cooper was already making a second trip back for the rest of the luggage, the first half being loaded onto Aiden’s private jet. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and stomped the thing out, untying the smoke weave in the process. Aiden pulled Sage close and deposited a kiss on his cheek, being very careful not to let him smell the stench that had no doubt built up in his mouth.
Aiden moved passed Sage after a moment and took a few steps towards the tarmac. He turned his head to look back at his two travel companions and asked, “Shall we?”
RE: Machiavellianism - Sage - 04-17-2020
Sage drifted into the store in his head as they walked up the stairs into the private plan. Sage wasn't that rich he didn't have a plan of his own. His parents never did either. But then they didn't do a lot of traveling like the rockstar Aiden used to be.
"The Atharim have records of prophets. But I don't think they employ them - they are under monsters." They hadn't been labeled monsters of course - they were called abnormalities. Humans who weren't normal. They couldn't call them monsters what if anyone ever found their data? It would incriminate them.
Sage sighed. as he took a seat. Aiden seemed fine. He turned to look at Jaxen. "So are we after this, The Sword of Light of Nuada, or the lost pages? I'm assuming the object itself since you already raided the Atharim." Sage wasn't sure why he was coming other than it was an adventure he was unlikely to have anytime else. But it didn't matter he could work anywhere. But for now he tried to keep an eye on Aiden in case it happened again, whatever it was that had happened.
RE: Machiavellianism - Jaxen Marveet - 05-05-2020
Jaxen's brows rose to the sky. "You have to be careful, Aiden. You'll find yourself in a padded room for talking like that." Jaxen nodded emphatically, fully serious. "The padded room part may not be that bad, assuming you don't know you're in the padded room. So my advice is to commit to crazy full time. Last thing you want is living lucid in there." Jaxen laughed hysterically after that, nearly doubling over. If he so much as admitted a shred of what he thought he saw in the realm of the Naga, Aiden would probably walk him into the padded room and lock the door himself.
"Did I ever tell you boys the story of how I found myself in the dungeon of ear-eating cannibals? Strung up by my wrists in shackles?" His smirk promised good intrigue and even better heroism if the bait was taken.
RE: Machiavellianism - Jaxen Marveet - 05-07-2020
Continued at Where there is ruin, there is hope for treasure.